MOAS allows students to engage in politics, foreign diplomacy

At 37th annual event, delegates’ knowledge of the issues is impressive

By Chris Hightower Midland ISD

Published
10:49 am CST, Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Chris Hightower is Social Studies Department chair and government teacher at Midland High School.

Chris Hightower is Social Studies Department chair and government teacher at Midland High School.

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Chris Hightower is Social Studies Department chair and government teacher at Midland High School.

Chris Hightower is Social Studies Department chair and government teacher at Midland High School.

MOAS allows students to engage in politics, foreign diplomacy

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Last week I had the opportunity to observe the 37th Model Organization of American States in Washington, D.C. The Model OAS is a simulation exercise in which students take on the actual proceedings of the OAS Permanent Council. Students engage in general debate, lobbying, caucusing and negotiation. They discussed and debated issues including immigration, fighting corruption in democracy, integral development and human right, to name a few. I was so impressed to see the level of dialogue that occurred once these students started working in their respective committees.

Midland was well-represented with five delegations of students from Midland High School, Lee High School, and Trinity School. This excursion afforded me the pleasure of seeing how some of our future leaders operated and collaborated with 29 other delegations from around the country and the Western Hemisphere. Some of our city’s best were alongside public and private schools from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Puerto Rico and Virginia. Students also worked in a rich cultural environment with students from El Salvador, Columbia, Belize and Peru.

Before students attend MOAS, they are asked to act as delegates from one of the 34 member nations of the OAS. This included writing position papers from their country’s point of view and doing research on current topical issues. The spur for this eventual debate is the work students do when they break up in to small “working groups.” Students then begin to think and share what they have researched to stimulate a deep discussion of the topic.

Students are asked to consider perspectives of other people and countries while they act out and advocate each response offered to potentially rectify a given issue. The task of the individuals in the working group is to encourage participation of all students. The level of engagement in this dialogue was unbelievably impressive as our students delved into the problems presented, but these 15- to 18-year-olds were speaking like true experts. They were involved in so many cross-curricular elements during debate that it made a real impression on me.

Engaging students in politics and foreign diplomacy means you have to make politics and foreign diplomacy applicable to them. The Model OAS does this masterfully. The students eventually introduced to the larger group the resolutions they had written, and an even broader and robust discussion and debate followed.

George Couros, a leading educator in the area of innovative leadership, teaching and learning, said, “The best way to ensure students are the ‘leaders of tomorrow’ is to give them the opportunity to lead today.” The Model OAS simulation is one of those opportunities, and I am truly thankful to Model OAS Program Coordinator Victoria Abalo and her staff for hosting a truly amazing conference. Equally, I would like to say a job well-done to the Midland coordinators Jeanette Lazano, Tina Ortez and Michael Midkiff for preparing their students for this experience.

It was extremely encouraging to see so many young people engaged in active foreign policy discussions. This type of experience gives me a sense of hope that from the generation that will be graduating from high school in the next few years, will include some great potential leaders.